Week In The News: Feds Deployed In Chicago, Coronavirus Spikes, John Lewis' Passing

It’s our weekly news roundup. The president orders Federal law enforcement to Chicago and changes his mind on mask-wearing, Washington orders China’s Houston consulate shut, and civil rights icon John Lewis' passing. Plus, the latest on the pandemic and the 2020 election.

Luis Carrasco, editorial writer and member of the Houston Chronicle’s Editorial Board. (@lfcarrasco)

Susan Page, Washington bureau chief for USA Today. (@SusanPage)

Annie Karni, White House Correspondent for the New York Times. (@anniekarni)

Reuters: "U.S. records 2,600 new coronavirus cases every hour as total approaches four million" — "U.S. coronavirus cases were approaching 4 million on Thursday, with over 2,600 new cases every hour on average, the highest rate in the world, according to a Reuters tally."

The New York Times: "Trump, in a Shift, Endorses Masks and Says Virus Will Get Worse" — "President Trump acknowledged on Tuesday that the coronavirus pandemic was growing more severe in the United States and endorsed mask wearing in a shift after weeks of playing down the seriousness of the crisis that has killed more than 140,000 Americans."

USA Today: "Appreciation: For John Lewis, a lifetime of making 'good trouble' left scars and a legacy" — "John Lewis rubbed the scar on his forehead, a reminder of the fractured skull he suffered when Alabama state troopers assaulted civil rights marchers trying to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma in 1965. 'From time to time, looking in a mirror, I tend to notice it,' he told USA TODAY in an interview that marked the 50th anniversary of the protest, and of the beating by a nightstick that left the scar. The march known as Bloody Sunday helped galvanize support for the Voting Rights Act and change the arc of American history."

The New York Times: "Tension, Infighting Roil Trump White House as Coronavirus Strategy Sputters" — "Differences over how to fight the coronavirus pandemic have sparked infighting and tension within the White House, hampering its response as the death toll mounts and President Donald Trump's approval ratings fall."

Financial Times: "US spends $2bn to secure Covid-19 vaccine" — "The Trump administration has committed to spend $1.95bn on 100m doses of a potential Covid-19 vaccine being developed by Germany’s BioNTech and US pharma giant Pfizer, which will be distributed free of charge to American citizens."

The New York Times: "Red vs. Red in Texas, With Republicans Battling One Another After Mask Order" — "Texas Republicans have long sparred with one another, with feisty internal disputes in recent years over gun rights, bathroom bills and other culture-war issues. But since the spring, as the coronavirus began to take hold across the state, it has been an all-out battle of red versus red."

Reuters: "Trump in 'law and order' campaign to send federal agents to more U.S. cities'" — "President Donald Trump announced a plan on Wednesday to send federal agents to the Democratic-run cities of Chicago and Albuquerque to crack down on violent crime in an escalation of his 'law and order' theme heading into the final months before the presidential election."

The Washington Post: "Obama and Biden, together again to troll Trump" — "Joe Biden’s presidential campaign on Wednesday deployed a new tactic to reach voters when bunting-strewn stages and boisterous rallies have been set aside: using cinematic flourish to tease a major appearance with Barack Obama intended to excite Democrats and troll President Trump with the presence of his popular predecessor."